On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 12:53:28AM -0400, J wrote:
> OH BOY! (Scott, you know... )
>
Yeah, you know I can't stay out of this.
> On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 00:19, David Neeley <dbneeley@gmail.
> > I am on many email lists, and have been for several decades now--and
> > quite a few newsgroups before that.
> >
> > This is one of the very few lists in which so many people complain
> > about "top posting."
>
> This is one of the few lists I am on too in which many, many people
> complain about top posting. But that's because almost every other
> technical list I am on is populated by people who do not top post.
> Like you, I've been on and a part of literally hundreds of mailing
> lists, forums and usenet groups over the years, and of all the things
> I've ever seen, top posting discussions are only second to vi vs.
> emacs, which is even more contentious than Linux vs. Windows...
Yup, in most of the lists I'm on, which are also more technical, there
will simply be a brusque
Don't top post.
If the person ignores it, their posts are usually ignored.
What I always do notice, is that when Jeff, Cameron, or one of the other
people who are professionals in the IT field, mention it, it is while
they are answering the original poster's question.
Then, someone complains about them saying don't top post. The complainer
doesn't answer the OP's question. On this list especially, which, as
far as I know, only has one active mod who is extremely busy in real
life, the professionals are then often insulted for saying, in effect,
I'm willing to help you, at no charge, would you please make it a bit
easier for me to read?
And, saying it more politely than we would on most lists, because, as
Jeff points out, this is a beginner's list, where the idea is to help
people get more experienced. Back in my MS days, I would see the
Windows lists say the same thing. On most tech lists, you are expected
to post properly.
I'm not getting into another fight on this topic here. Let Jeff be the
curmudgeon. I've seen folks, other professionals, leave this list
because, after answering someone's question, and suggesting that the OP
post properly in the future, there were 20 messages afterwards, all by
people who *didn't* have any technical answer for the problem, insulting
the replier for daring to suggest that if you were asking the question,
you make it easier.
When I'm looking through 20 messages, and the top line is something like
I did that, now what, no, I don't scroll down to see what they did. If
they can't take the time to make it easier for me, they are not only
asking for me to do for free something for which I get paid, but they
are making it harder.
Trimming is just as important though. Leaving in the whole message, and
adding at the bottom of something that's already had 3 replies, and
leaving in all the junk tha Yahoo adds to each email, to say, I did
that, now what, is as much a waste of time as top posting. It should
mimic a conversation.
So, for everyone else who wants to contribute to this discussion, my
first question is, how often do you answer questions on this list?
On the Linux@yahoo list, where there are two active moderators, top
posted replies usually simply don't make it to the list. (There are
exceptions, depending upon the circumstances-
certainly does happen, the only answer to a question is a top posted
one, or when the person is still new, and continuing their question.)
http://howto-
gives an excellent demonstration of why proper posting helps others
follow the thread.
--
Scott Robbins
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